Tuesday, August 12, 2014

End of breeding, start migration.

 Hoopoe
Definitely the breeding season is over, the last young birds have left their nests, but they can be seen chasing their parents or fending for themselves. But what catches the attention of a day in the field is silence, virtually there aren't birds singing, only is possible to hear, calls, contact or alarm voices.
In a few days will start the migratory path significantly, is still low.
Within the valley, the dense forest and the silence of birds, increases the difficult to birding.
So we head into plateaux areas, where brushy areas, arable lands boundaries,  and small villages, where the birding is more easy, all en route to the south of the Ebro reservoir.


 Yellowhammer

As on other occasions the most characteristic birds appear, Buntings, Finches, Chats ... and again appears one of the most spectacular Iberian birds, the Hoopoe.
The presence of waterfowl in the Ebro Reservoir remains low, although there were several species were not many and the number of birds was not much.



 Red-backed Shrike

Water smartweed
But the most interesting awaited us in the nearby pasture areas. A dead animal, possibly a horse, served as food for Griffon Vultures, good concentration, exceeding 150 birds.
One of the great shows that the Iberian nature can show us.
Although interestingly, we have only seen arrive Griffon Vultures and Crows, and, although the Egyptian Vultures still continuing in the region, we did not observe them in this area.






At the end of the day we recorded 39 species, a few less than in the past, but easily attributable to the absence of some, who have taken to way towards Africa as the Swifts.

Bird List
Gadwall
Mallard
Little Grebe
Grey Heron
White Stork
Honey Buzzard
Black Kite

Egyptian Vulture

Griffon Vulture
Common Buzzard
Common Kestrel
Black-headed Gull
Yellow-legged Gull
Hoopoe
Sand Martin
Barn Swallow

House Martin
Tawny Pipit

Tree Pipit
Yellow Wagtail
Whinchat
Common Stonechat

Wheatear
Blackbird
Zitting Cisticola
Dartford Warbler
Whitethroat
Great Tit
Red-backed Shrike

Jay
Magpie
Carrion Crow

Spotless Starling

House Sparrow

Rock Sparrow
Common Chaffinch

Linnet
Bullfinch
Yellowhammer

Thank you very much to Ann and John for your interest in the birds of Burgos
More information and www.molinodelcanto.com  and www.mcbirding.com